


Two of a Kind

by VidalsQueen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Manipulation, Memories of torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rescue, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-17 06:36:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14183040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VidalsQueen/pseuds/VidalsQueen
Summary: This is a self-indulgent dream I had of Shiro and a female character. I decided to write it because not writing it was giving me writer's block. So enjoy!Astrid is rescued from the Galra by the Paladins. Her and Shiro have many similarities and they are hard to ignore. He immediately wants to help her, as he sees much of himself in her.(There will eventually be smut)





	1. Welcome to the Castle

Voices. But none she recognized. They came to her as if through another dimension. Muffled, coarse, and alternating between male and female. Were people arguing close by? What happened? Where was she? Images came and went. She didn’t know what was happening now and what was in her head. She couldn’t piece it together. And if she tried to move, her body didn’t respond. Wherever she was, she was stuck. She tried to open her mouth, to speak, but nothing happened. And soon the world faded back to black.

 

She awoke again, this time with a bit more awareness. She noticed the glass that separated her from the shapes that stood just outside the pod she was in. And she knew it was a pod now. She had been in one before. The Galra had forced her into one after they had tortured her, removing vital pieces of her anatomy and replacing them with tech. They had left her there many times before to allow her body to bond with the alien parts. She rolled her shoulder, feeling the weight of the arm that was no longer hers, but theirs. She remembered them telling each other about the abilities she could gain with the new appendage. It still didn’t make any sense to her. Their words were beyond her understanding. 

Just then the pod slid open and she fell. She had never had that happen before and was not prepared to come into contact with another body. It held her gently and she had only a moment to feel some sense of relief at the touch when she realized the arm holding her steady was Galra. She shoved away, pushing the Galra across the room with her new arm. And then, it lit up. Fire and electricity coursed through her and she saw nothing but red. It brought her to her knees. But she was not ready to give up. She was not ready to have her captor’s scalpels scraping her skin. She knew she could fight now and she knew she could use this thing to aid her in fighting them off. They had made her into a weapon and they would regret it. 

She got to her feet, ready to charge the Galra and made her advance only to be brought down by another jolt of electric shock. This time it didn’t come from her arm, but from a green rope that had wrapped around her waist. 

“Pidge, release her.” The man, for she now realized it was a man, she had been ready to attack, spoke softly as his eyes flitted between her and the child who held the rope in her hands. 

“She was going to attack you, Shiro. I didn’t really have a choice. We’ve seen what you can do with your arm. Do you really want her turning that against you?” 

“She’s scared, Pidge. You would be too if you had been through what she’s been through.” The man approached her, slowly but confidently.

She tried to hold her ground, but couldn’t help flinching away as he inched a little to close. “I am not going to hurt you.” He glared at Pidge again, his look telling her to release her. 

Finally, the rope fell away and she could move again. She tried to keep her reactions in check, for she now realized he was surrounded by what mostly seemed to be humans. It had been a long time since she’d seen her own kind, and minus the fact that one of them bore an almost identical arm to hers, she didn’t see any Galra here. 

The man called Shiro held his hand out to her, this time extending his human arm and not the metal one. “What is your name? We found you on board a Galra ship and brought you here. We mean you no harm.”

She looked at the other faces in the room and they seemed friendly enough, even if a few of them scowled. She couldn’t blame them. They didn’t know her and she had attempted to attack them without thought. 

“A- Astrid,” She mumbled. Her voice was rough, scratchy as if she hadn’t had anything to drink in a week. It hurt and she lifted her hand to her throat only to jump at the touch of metal on her skin. She examined the foreign arm. It moved like it was a part of her. She flexed her fingers and they moved just like they had before. It was more than a little unnerving.

Shiro still stood with his hand extended to hers. Slowly she lifted her hand to his and he pulled just enough to help her to her feet. “I know this is a lot to take in. I was in your position not too long ago. Trust us.” He nodded, his eyes full of sincerity. 

“Yeah, were the galactic good guys,” a boy in blue robes piped in. 

“You are all human,” She questioned, still unsure about her newfound allies. 

“Well, yeah. For the most part,” Pidge said. “We have a few Alteans. This is their ship actually.” 

“Alteans?” She wasn’t sure what an Altean was, but she had little experience with aliens before the Galra attacked and captured her crew. It was only supposed to be an observational dig and she was only supposed to be there for protection. She was one of the few still trained in the ancient Martial Arts in her group and she hadn’t been bested until that day. The group of scientists her band had accompanied had just found some sort of artifact and they were preparing it for transport. Then drones fell from the sky. They blasted the science lab to pieces and took most of the people captive. She had been able to evade them for days, but she was eventually caught and thrown into a cell with the rest of her people. 

A true beauty stepped into the room. Her white hair a stark contrast to her dark skin. Her outfit was incredibly elegant and didn’t seem to fit those surrounding her. Everyone else, minus the boy in the blue robes, was dressed in armor. Suddenly she grew self-conscious. The last thing she remembered she hadn’t been wearing anything. The Galra hadn’t cared about her modesty as they were modifying her body. She took a deep breath and then looked down. She exhaled as she realized she was in the cast-off rags that most of the Galra prisoners wore. Good, she thought to herself. At least that was some dignity spared. 

The beautiful woman approached her. “You must be exhausted and quite hungry. We have an extra bunk in the crew quarters where you are welcome to stay and get comfortable and we can send some food to your room, if you’d like.” The woman’s beaming smile was almost as unnerving as her new arm. 

“I… Uh. I would like to go home.” But where would that be? She had no home on Earth and her ship was destroyed in the Galra attack. And her ship had been her livelihood. Guns for hire didn’t have much to offer if they had no way of getting to their targets. And her crew was gone.

The concerned look on the faces surrounding her told her she must have said some of that out loud. She hadn’t meant to, but she was unused to having anyone but herself to talk to for so long. 

“I’m sorry. I will just… Can someone show me the extra bunk?”

“Of course, my lady.” The boy in the blue robes sidled up to her and extended his elbow.

“No, Lance. Pidge could you ensure that Astrid finds the bunks and the kitchens?” Shiro was glaring at Lance as he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. 

 

The young Paladin, as Astrid was beginning to learn they were called, didn’t stop talking for the entirety of their journey through the castle. Most of what she said was complete nonsense. She seemed to just enjoy showing their ship to someone new. Astrid took note of the important places, the bunks, the kitchens, the showers, all that she was now eager to take part in. 

“Now, we don’t have any of the typical Earth foods on board, but Hunk is actually a good cook and can make something relatively tasty.” Pidge smiled at her and gestured for her to sit on one of the cushy chairs. 

Pidge brought her a bowl of something that looked nothing like any food she’d seen but had to be better than the sustenance the Galra gave her. Something at least smelled good. 

After her belly was full and her company had gone off to do more important things, she made her way back to the bunk where she found a fresh towel and some essential toiletries. Someone had also placed some clothes on her bed. She had no idea where they would have found something to fit her, Pidge was built like a boy and Allura was super skinny. She was curvy. Her chest alone would be hard to fit, but she had hips much larger than either of the two girls as well. Maybe Shiro was wide enough to provide a shirt for her to wear. She lifted the tank top to her chest and knew it would be a stretch, but better than what she had. 

She took her things to the showers, ready to scrub the taint of the last few months off of her skin. As she neared the door, she heard someone come up behind her. “Astrid, how are you settling in?”

It was Shiro. He also had an armful of toiletries. She supposed she couldn’t have been the only one with the idea. With most of the team being in armor, they must have just come off of some mission. 

“I… uh… I am sorry. If you need to shower, go ahead. I can wait.” 

Shiro smiled. “Not it’s alright. There are separate stalls and changing rooms. We could all shower in here comfortably.”

Astrid laughed. Just the image of all of the crew in the showers together was amusing. And it brought to mind even more humorous images as she went over scenarios in her head. But then her mind wandered to Shiro showering and it was no longer funny. She quickly averted her gaze. She didn’t want him to see the blush that was creeping into her cheeks. 

“Is something wrong,” Shiro asked, his voice smooth and soothing. 

She shook her head adamantly. She wasn’t about to admit to him that the thought of him naked wasn’t at all displeasing. Besides, wasn’t it only moments ago that she was ready to kill him? She knew nothing about this man or the others on the ship. Now was not the time to be thinking about her desires. 

They walked into the showers together and went their separate ways. Shiro was right, there was no way they would see each other if they didn’t want to, but he still took the furthest stall from hers to give her some privacy. 

 

After her shower, she got dressed and went back to her room to put her things away. She didn’t see Shiro leave the showers and decided it best to not go looking for him again. She made her way back to the kitchens hoping to find something warm to drink. She had always done that before and thought something soothing, something that reminded her of home would help her sleep in this strange castle ship amongst all these strangers. 

One of the crew was already sitting down with what seemed like dinner, but she was sure it was too late for a meal. Maybe he hadn’t eaten earlier. 

“Hunk, is it?”

The boy turned to her, his face smeared with some kind of goo. “Astrid? What are you doing down here so late? It’s usually just me. Don’t tell anyone. They don’t need to know just how often I’m down here.”

“Back before I was captured, I liked to end my nights with a cup of cocoa. I’m not hoping to find that here, but maybe you know an alternative? Pidge told me to come to you if I was hungry or had any questions about food.” She took a seat beside him at the table. 

“Yeah, I hate to tell you this, but these Alteans have nothing even close to chocolate.” Hunk seemed to lose his train of thought for a moment. Astrid could only assume the poor boy was thinking about his favorite chocolate dishes on Earth. “But if it’s a hot drink you want, that I can provide. We did get a cow and we have a steamer. So I can spice up some steamed milk for you. How does that sound?”

“That sounds great actually.” 

Hunk returned with her mug of steamed milk and the aroma reminded her of cinnamon and something else she couldn’t place. She took a test sip to find that it was delicious. She thanked Hunk and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He’d earned it. Then she made her way back to her room. 

She had her nose in her steaming mug and she nearly collided with Shiro just outside her bunk’s door. His hands on her waist being the only things stopping her forward movement and preventing her from spilling the steamed milk all over herself. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. Hunk made me some steamed milk and it is just so good that I kinda lost myself for a few moments.” Astrid blushed again. She was really going to have to stop doing that. 

“It smells really good. Hunk is kind of a genius when it comes to food.”

“You want to try it?” She didn’t know why she was all of a sudden willing to share, but she held the mug close to his lips. 

“Sure, why not?” He leaned in and let her tilt the liquid into his mouth. As he swallowed he moaned softly.

“It is really good. I may have to convince him to make me some later.” His lips quirked into a half smile and Astrid became very aware of the fact that he had yet to release her. 

“Well, I was just going to bed. This is me.” She giggled and pointed to the door they were standing outside of.

“Oh, well, that is me.” Shiro pointed to the door next to hers, his hands finally leaving her body. “And if you have any problems sleeping tonight, just let me know. It was hard for me for a while, too. Maybe I can help you readjust.”

She nodded and slipped into her room as the doors slid open. “Thank you, Shiro.”


	2. The First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid has a nightmare.

The nightmares began the first night. Astrid bolted awake, confused and terrified. The footsteps outside her bedroom door mimicked the pacing of her Galra guards. She couldn’t breathe, her heart pounded in her chest and she could already feel the scalpel scraping against her skin, sinking into her flesh and tearing her apart. 

Her door slid open and she pushed herself against the wall, bringing her knees to her chest. She bowed her head, trying to regain some control over her breath. The room was spinning and her phantom arm began to pulse with Galra light. 

The bed shifted. For she now realized it was a bed, not the floor she had grown accustomed to. That thought alone had her mind working out where she was even before a warm hand settled onto her shoulder. 

“It’s okay. It’s Shiro. You’re with the Paladins of Voltron. Nothing can hurt you here. You’re safe.” He stroked her arm and pushed back the curls that had fallen into her face. 

Shiro made shushing noises and continued petting Astrid until her breathing became normal and she could finally look at him. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” She could feel the shameful tears brimming in her eyes. She didn’t want to wipe them away, for fear he would notice. It was fairly dark after all. If she could just keep her hands from her face he may never know that the tears had spilled over and were now running down her neck. 

“It’s okay,” he repeated. “Do you need anything? Can I do anything for you?”

Astrid shook her head. She didn’t want him to see her like this. It was embarrassing. She was a strong, independent woman and always had been. She had never needed a man to cater to her and she didn’t want one now. But, she had to admit, his presence in the room did make her feel somewhat safer. 

“Come on. Lay back down. I’ll stay until you fall asleep again.”

She did and Shiro tucked the blankets in around her. True to his word he didn’t leave the spot on the bed until she fell asleep.

 

Shiro had never thought to come across another human who had been through what he’d been through. Sure he had seen some who had been tortured in the same way he had while he was the Champion, but they never lasted long. Their bodies either resisted the Galra tech or their fighting skills weren’t up to par. And Astrid was a woman. He’d only ever seen women sold as slaves and he tried not to think too hard about what a Galra would want with a human woman for a slave. 

What about her made her so special? Why had the Galra chosen her for one of their experiments? He knew he was an excellent fighter and intelligent to boot, but he knew nothing of the tiny woman in front of him. 

When he had found her, she was barely coherent. He figured it had something to do with the fact that he had pulled her from a healing chamber before her time was up. But he knew he could get her to the pods here in time to not suffer any damage from an unfinished healing cycle. It simply meant she’d be in the pod longer than was usually necessary. He didn’t think she would mind. 

For days he stood outside the pod examining her. She had curly, brown hair that fell just below her shoulder blades. Her nose was small and turned up at the end. She had full but small lips that pursed when she was in pain, or when she seemed to be in the throes of whatever consumed her mind with inside the pod. High cheekbones rested under full cheeks, something Shiro found to be quite attractive. She wasn’t skinny by any means. She had large breasts and full hips, a very womanly figure. Her flat stomach was soft and her thighs were thick. The leggings and cropped rag of a shirt showed all of these things. 

He had tried not to notice these things, to look past them, but he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. Then, when she fell out of the pod and into his arms, she turned the most beautiful blue eyes on him. They were as bright as Balmeran crystals. He only had a moment to look into them before he was shoved away, the force of her blow tossing him across the room. He quickly picked up on the fact that she was frightened, and he knew what had frightened her. It was him. His Galran arm. For a week he’d been thinking about how pretty she was and how he’d be the first to offer his assistance when she woke, possibly engendering some feeling from her, gaining her favor. 

It was stupid of him not to consider that he would terrify her. That this thing they shared was just as likely to scare her off as it was to help them find common ground. He flexed the fingers of his metal arm. He was used to it now, though it held no feeling, he imagined what it used to feel like to flex the muscles in his arm. And then he reached out and stroked Astrid’s arm. He wasn’t sure why maybe to tell himself he wasn’t alone in having a limb that was unresponsive to the touch of another. 

Now that she was asleep and softly snoring, he felt it best to return to his bunk. Even if she wanted him to stay, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to slide into bed next to her and hold her without her permission.


	3. A Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid offers to assist the Paladins on a mission. Shiro learns a little more about her.

“We have a problem,” Pidge stated as she glared at the screen. The entire crew had gathered on the deck of the ship, including Astrid. They had been wandering around space, trying to keep out of the Galra’s sight for some time, but a distress call had them rushing in to protect more innocents from falling to their hands. “The chamber where they are keeping the prisoners has been modified. The door requires two Galra signatures to be present in order to open it. Keith has been MIA for some time. I don’t think we will be able to reach him in time to help these people.”

As the crew discussed the few ways that they could infiltrate the prison and still breach the door undetected, Astrid debated stating the obvious. If Shiro’s arm would generate the signature they needed, her arm could do the same. But the crew still didn’t know her that well and they had no idea what skills she possessed. 

When the conversation devolved into arguing instead of brainstorming, Astrid finally piped in. “You know, there is an obvious solution here.” She waved her metal hand, hoping that would be the only clue they needed. 

Shiro crossed his arms over his chest. He examined her with a scrutiny she did not appreciate. His eyes tracked over her body as if assessing it for weakness. She knew she didn’t look like a warrior. She carried more weight than was typical of someone with her former job, but she was fit and strong. She had a steady hand with a gun and could move quietly. Her Krav Maga training alone was a huge asset. She knew how to manipulate her body and her opponent’s body with ease. She was also skilled in other forms of manipulation, though she didn’t see how that would benefit her on this mission, it was another skill she had that they knew nothing about. 

She sighed. “Look, I realize you know nothing about me, but the Galra found me useful. I was an infiltrator before. My skills could help you. Or you can just keep feeding me and clothing me for free. But I would like to help if I can. It’s better than going stir crazy here. I’m used to working and fighting. I promise, I’m more than just a pretty face.”

Shiro actually blushed at that. It made her smile, even if slightly devilishly. At least her charms were still working. The Galra hadn’t taken that from her. 

“She will need some armor,” Allura spoke from her perch in the center of the room. 

“I would prefer leathers if you have them. Easier to maneuver.” All eyes turned to her in confusion. Then she realized her mistake. “It’s what I’m used to, but if you have something better, I will try it out.” Even on Earth leathers were out of date, old school. Astrid just liked the way they looked. She’d never been a fan of tech and tried to keep it away from her, preferring throwing stars and daggers over guns. She even at one point owned a bow, but it had been years and she’d stopped crafting arrows when it grew to be an expense she didn’t need. Tech was unreliable, as they were about to prove. It could be manipulated too easily and Astrid found it dull. The word hacker had long ago lost its stigma and its appeal. 

“Let’s suit up.” Shiro nodded to Pidge, letting her know he was going with this plan.

 

They made their way to the crew quarters and after a few minutes, Allura appeared with a suit for her. “The suits form to your body so you don’t have to worry about fit. They are lightweight and move easily. You don’t need to worry about it hindering your movement.” She smiled and turned to leave. 

“Thank you, Allura. For the suit and for trusting me.”

She turned back to Astrid. “You’re welcome. But my trust is in Shiro, and he seems to trust you. So far, he’s been an excellent judge of character. Do prove him right.”

 

Allura hadn’t lied. The suit fit like a second skin. It was comfortable and warm. She tested the stretch of the material with some roundhouse kicks and cartwheels. The suit moved with her as if made of liquid latex. She’d never felt anything quite like it. Maybe there was something to all of this tech. If it produced materials like this. She bent at the waist and leaned into a high kick, ready to swing her leg around but it was caught. On instinct, she bent backward lifting her other leg to wrap it around the assailant. Using her weight and the force of her new arm, she flipped her attacker onto his back as she landed on his chest, metal hand on his throat.

“Not just a pretty face indeed.” Shiro smiled, his hands wrapped around her wrists. 

Her lips cocked in a half smile and she bent over him. “There are benefits to people underestimating me.” She stayed like that for a moment, her face hovering just over his. He wasn’t a mark, but she wanted to make sure that after all she’d been through her charms still worked.

When he raised his head slightly her smile grew and she pulled back, stood and offered her hand to help him up. 

It took him a moment, but he finally reached for her hand. She pulled him to his feet and didn’t give him any time to react before sauntering off toward the drop for the Lions. She would be riding with Shiro and she loved that she had been able to get him riled up before having to share close quarters with her. 

This should be fun, she thought as she jumped to the zip line.


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid proves she can be an asset to the team.
> 
> Shiro realizes there is more to Astrid than he had thought.

He couldn’t believe it. She’d taken the zip line to his lion and it let her. He stared down the tunnel in disbelief, watching as the handle made its way back to him. What was it about her that was so interesting, not only to himself but to the Galra and now the Black Lion? And… Quiznack… Had he really just tried to kiss her? He usually had so much control. He needed that control. But with her, he slipped, often. First, not thinking about what her reaction to him might be. Then, thinking about her for the entirety of his shower, knowing she was naked and wet and only a few feet away. Not to mention them nearly colliding outside their rooms. He’d held her, if only for a few moments and he didn’t want to let go. The sheepish blush that came to her cheeks and the offer to share her comforting drink had all been so sweet. 

But he couldn’t be thinking about that now. They had a mission to complete. If he didn’t focus they would get there and fail. They couldn’t afford to fail. He only hoped that Astrid would be the asset she thought she was. 

He took the zip line down to his lion. 

“This is fascinating.”

She was sitting in his chair and the displays were all lit up as if it were him sitting there. This didn’t make any sense. Only he should be able to make the Black Lion respond. 

“How does it work? Is it like a regular ship? What can it do? Does yours blast ice or breathe fire? I have seen Lance and Allura’s lions do that.” She turned with a giddy smile on her face.

“It connects with the Paladin’s mind. It usually only responds to its Paladin.”

Her smile faltered as she realized the ship was responding to her. She lifted her hands from the controls and stood. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interfere with your connection to your ship.”

“No, it’s… fine.” At least he hoped it was fine. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had assumed control of the Black Lion from him. Zarkon had. Keith had. But he was in control of himself now. Or was he? Had Astrid changed that?

He took his seat at the helm. His human hand shook as he placed it on the controls. It would do them no good to find out he was no longer in control of his lion at the beginning of a mission. He closed his eyes and opened his mind. Come on, please stay with me. The lion roared and Shiro was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. 

“Buckle in. You’re in for one hell of a ride.”

 

They made it to the base and split up into parties. Lance wanted to go with Astrid, but Shiro reminded him he had a mission of his own. Pidge remained on alert, in stealth, just outside the base. Hunk and Lance were to be ready to pick up the prisoners, once released. Allura remained in the castle to keep an eye on everything but geared up and ready to fight if need be. 

Shiro took the lead and headed for the door they would be trying to infiltrate. Each time he stopped Astrid’s hand touched his back, his waist or his shoulder. It was only mildly distracting, but he didn’t like that a simple touch could have his mind shifting for even a second. 

He was about to round a corner when Astrid pulled him into a nook in the ship's walls. They were standing face-to-face. He could feel the heat of her breath brush across his skin. Now, this was too much. This was a distraction he couldn’t afford. He opened his mouth to tell her so and she released him to bring a finger to her lips. 

Then he heard the voices. He couldn’t tell where they were coming from, but it seemed Astrid did. And then he realized why he could feel her breath. She was breathing hard and her fingers were clenched around his armor. Whoever’s voice they were hearing, she knew and he had an idea of what was going on in her head. 

“They think we haven’t figured out that they are onboard and those lions are sitting out there. They have no idea what is coming. We will finally have Zarkon’s pet back where he belongs and the Black Lion will be ours. Make sure no one raises the alarm.” 

Astrid turned startled eyes to Shiro and he had no idea what was running through her mind but he could see the resolve building in her. 

“These suits, you said they have trackers?”

Shiro nodded, unsure where she was going with this.

“Okay, good. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

Again, Shiro nodded. 

Astrid lifted off her helmet and turned the corner. The door they had been looking for was just there and Shiro shifted his position so that he could keep an eye on her. She checked for Sentries and saw none, which made sense if this was a trap. Then she casually walked up to the door and placed her hand on the Galra lock. Shiro knew well enough that an alarm could be triggered by her placing her hand on the lock, but nothing happened. She looked as confused as he felt. But then the door slid open and someone stepped through the door.

“Well, well. Look who it is. We were expecting the Paladin and instead we got you. I have to say, I was displeased when you ran away.” 

Shiro watched as Astrid’s entire demeanor changed. She smiled and looked at the Galra almost adoringly. “I didn’t run. The Paladins kidnapped me. I was out cold when they took me from you.” She stroked the Galra’s cheek with her metal hand. 

He gripped her waist and grunted as her chest met his. 

Shiro was befuddled. What was happening?

“Well, my pet. It seems you will get the chance to face down the man you were created to destroy. The Champion is here. He doesn’t stand a chance against you. It’s time to take out the Black Paladin.” 

Astrid’s mouth dropped open for a brief moment before she regained her composure. The look of shock replaced with a look of utter satisfaction. “As you wish.”

 

The Champion was Shiro? Shiro was the Champion? Why hadn’t she realized this before? She knew the answer to that. She had been secluded for far too long. She was only allowed out of her cell to train and to be cut open. 

She replaced her helmet so Shiro could hear everything she was saying. She hoped he realized she was putting on an act to keep him out of danger. “The Paladins are waiting for me to return to the ship. The Champion is in the Black Lion at the aft. I am to retrieve the prisoners and lead them out through the cargo bay. They will come for me again if I am not out soon. The little one, she has equipped the lions with cloaking devices, so you won’t pick them up on the scanners, but the Yellow Lion is out there, too.”

The truth wrapped in lies. Or enough of the truth that he wouldn’t question the validity of her lies. But it would also tell Shiro that she was leading them away from, not towards the lion’s actual locations. She had a moment to wonder if he was still willing to trust her after that display, but then his voice came over the coms telling the rest of their crew what she was feeding to the Galra. 

She found the place inside her, the place that was empty. The place she had created to separate herself from what she had to do. Nothing could touch her there and she could be anyone she wished. That was what happened when your organization used you as a lab rat, tortured you to test you, and taught you the laws of true manipulation. She’d wanted it, of course. She thought being a spy would be romantic, like in the movies. But she was wrong, and they would be eternally sorry they ever created her. 

She leaned her head into the Galra’s arm and stroked her metal hand along his skin. It was easier that way and he preferred that way. He led her into a room filled with monitors. Each display had been set to the places she’d named and she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. They’d listened and Shiro would be able to make it to her with no problem. Now, all she had to do was convince the other people in the room to leave. She knew if Shiro made it to her, he could get into the room. The alarms had been disabled so that he would be able to open the door and come face-to-face with the ambush. 

She removed her helmet, sitting it close enough that she could still be heard, but not close enough that they would hear the other voices coming through her headset. She turned to face her former master. She hopped up onto the table leaning back and spreading her legs slightly, trying to draw his gaze. All she wanted was his eyes on her and not toward anything that would collapse her lie. 

It worked, as she knew it would. “I have missed you. Have you missed me?” She lifted her foot to stroke it along the Galra’s leg. She wouldn’t let herself say his name, not even in her mind. He was nothing to her and that’s what he would remain. Naming him would give him a small amount of power that he didn’t deserve, a familiarity that was unwarranted. 

The Galra growled, a deep need obvious in the shifting of his body. He turned to the others in the room. “Leave us.”

“Sir, this is the only…”

“I said leave us!” The Galra pounded his fist on his chair. 

All of the men jumped. They cast uneasy looks to each other and then to her. She raised her eyebrow. Perhaps they thought she would tell their leader he was being foolish, but she wanted him to be foolish. She had no way of knowing what direction the others would go in, but she hoped they followed her false information to its destination. It wouldn’t be Shiro they found but she hoped the others had formulated a plan to take down the ones headed that way. 

She hopped off the table and took her place between the Galra’s legs and his hands found her armored bottom. The fact that he couldn’t actually touch her skin made this so much easier. The armor was serving its purpose in more ways than she had realized. She rocked her hips, letting him think his hands on her body was exactly what she wanted. With her metal hand, she stroked his face. She knew the tender gesture was one he liked very much. 

She was about to take her ruse to the next level when she heard the door slide open and saw Shiro. Before anyone could react she heard a whirring noise emanate from her own arm and she shoved it through the Galra. The heat melted through the armor and flesh, and then through the chair. She hadn’t even known she could punch that hard. And it felt good to finally have her vengeance against her captor. 

She leaned into the Galra’s slackening face with a smile. “Now I own you,” she whispered as she removed her arm from his chest.

“Astrid,” Shiro’s voice sounded unsure. 

 

Shiro called to her. He still didn’t know what had happened over the past few minutes. He’d witnessed a shift in her persona that was so drastic and so immediate more than once, almost as if she’d flipped a switch and became someone else without thought. 

She turned to him and he was taken aback by the chill that settled over him at the coldness, the lack of life behind her eyes. She looked at the mechanical arm, examining the gore that remained and cocked an eyebrow before shaking the excess off and grabbing her helmet. 

“Time to go, Shiro. This was a trap for you.”

They made their way back through the ship and to his lion. The entire time she remained quiet, only nodding in response to his directions. Shiro had so many questions, but he knew the Astrid he thought he knew was no longer there. He didn’t think she’d be as open with him as she had been before today. Again, he felt a burning desire to know just who this woman was. When he’d rescued her, he thought he was saving a broken woman from the abuses of the Galra. Now, he wasn’t so sure she needed his help. And if he’d understood correctly, she’d been chosen to become the weapon that could take him and possibly the other Paladins out. 

They entered the Black Lion and she took her seat quickly and quietly. Compassion built within him. What had they done to her? What had happened to her before the Galra took her away? He wanted to reach out to her. That was what he would normally do. A consoling hand or a hug. That was his way. But the look she turned on him told him not to. Then he started to wonder if perhaps she now hated him. She had just found out that he was the reason she was tortured, turned into a weapon.

He took his seat at the controls and flew them back to the castle.


	5. A New Crew Member

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro vouches for Astrid's actions and talks her down from the spiraling.

Astrid tried to wrap her mind around all she had just learned. While she had been a prisoner, the Galra had attempted to brainwash her into believing the Champion was her ultimate enemy. They had tried to tell her awful things about him but she knew they were lying. Her previous training had won out over their torture. The entire time she had control of her own mind, but she also knew what they wanted from her. And so she gave it. She made them believe she wanted the Champion dead. They trained her to fight him specifically, showing her his weaknesses and how her arm could combat his. But she’d never seen him. She’d never seen Shiro’s face. And maybe some of what the Galra had tried to instill in her had stuck. She’d attacked him with only a moment’s sight of his arm. She knew that arm, knew it was the enemy. 

They docked and before Shiro could say or do anything she climbed the ladder to the hatch. She needed to get away from him, to clear her head. She needed to stop thinking of him as the Champion. She needed to get back to the fact that the man had risked his life to save her. He wasn’t the Champion, he was Shiro. He was the Black Paladin. He wasn’t some monster the Galra had created but was she?

She stayed a few paces ahead of him all the way to the bridge, where they were to debrief the team of what had just happened and she wanted to say what she needed to and then leave. 

Questions came flying at her the moment she stepped onto the deck of the bridge, so much so that they overwhelmed her. She didn’t know if she would be able to stand there and let it continue for very long, but then she didn’t have to. Shiro spoke from behind her, telling them all to quiet down. 

Allura stood on her perch with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Astrid. “What the quiznack just happened?”

Astrid could tell by her tone that she was angry with her specifically. As if Astrid had brought this on herself. So she found that quiet place once again, letting it settle over her in its cool relief. “This was not my doing, Princess. This was a trap for one of your Paladins. They wanted Shiro. They wanted the Black Lion. I did what I had to, to ensure no one was harmed and we all made it out without a fuss. Would you rather we fought through them without any real prize in the end? Your prisoners weren’t there.”

“But the signal…” Pidge started.

Astrid tossed a device to Pidge that she’d grabbed on her way out of the room. “A copy. It was fake.”

Pidge examined the device and pressed a button that Astrid hadn’t even noticed was there. The monitors lit up with the false distress call. She turned back to Astrid. “How did you know?”

“Because I’ve seen similar devices before.” She was not going to elaborate on that statement. She still didn’t know these people well enough to share her entire past with them. 

Allura sighed and looked between her and Shiro, “Well, then we should probably discuss…”

Again, Astrid cut her off before she could finish that statement. “No, we shouldn’t. All you need to know is that the Galra were not completely successful in turning me against Shiro, but I feel like it was probably the reason I attacked him when I fell from the pod. I recognized his arm, but I had never seen his face. I didn’t know until just now that Shiro and the Champion were one in the same, but I have no intention of harming him or any of you. Leave it at that or let me go. It doesn’t matter to me.”

She turned and stormed off the deck, giving Shiro a wide berth. She refused to meet his eyes but she could feel them on her body as the door closed behind her. 

 

“Shiro, she may be a danger to us all. You heard what she did back there. It was as if she became a different person. How do we know that she hasn’t been putting us on this entire time? She is obviously a skilled liar.” Allura trusted little when it came to the Galra, and Shiro was only slightly surprised to find that she was turning that distrust to someone they had helped rescue. She’d had much the same reaction to Keith’s heritage. And he wondered if she ever thought the same of him.

“You weren’t there. You didn’t see the fear in her eyes when she heard his voice. She’s a good foot shorter than me and I could feel her breath on my face, she was breathing so hard. She was nearly frozen in place for a moment. I think she is telling the truth, that she did what she had to do.” But how did she do it? How was she able to shift into an entirely different persona at the drop of a hat, or helmet as it were? That was what he wanted to know more than what she now thought of him, more than what her intentions were. 

Allura sighed. Usually, she trusted Shiro’s judgment but she looked to the rest of the team. “What do you all think?”

Pidge spoke up first. “She did get us all out of there safely and quietly.”

She turned to Hunk. “She’s nice. I mean, she’s been nice to me. I have no problem with her staying.”

“Well, I like her. She mysterious. It’s kinda ho…”

“Alright, Lance. That’s enough.” Shiro lifted his hand stopping the boy’s words. 

“I guess it’s settled then. Astrid is one of us, for now.”

They talked about their next move, but all agreed another trip to the Space Mall was in order. Lance and Pidge wanted to see if the Earth store had a new game for their console. Hunk wanted a chance to find some new foodstuffs and Astrid couldn’t keep wearing Shiro’s tank tops and Allura’s Atean leggings. Even though they formed to the person wearing them, she said they would never fit quite right if a smaller person wore them after a bigger person. Shiro thought it was probably her not wanting to wear something she’d given to someone else. Or to tell Astrid that she wanted them back. 

 

Shiro made his way to his room and hesitated outside Astrid’s door. At this point, he wasn’t even sure if she would be there. He approached the door and was going to knock but the door slid open. Apparently, she had forgotten to lock it. 

She was sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees and her face pressed into them. “I don’t want to talk, please, just go.”

Shiro squatted down next to her. “I just wanted to let you know that the team is making a stop at the Space Mall tomorrow. We are going to be getting some supplies and you some clothes. We can’t have you always wandering around here in my tank tops and Allura’s pants.”

Astrid let out a small laugh and it loosened up some of the tension in his chest. “What if I like wearing your tank tops and Allura’s leggings?”

Shiro smiled then. He had to admit his tank tops did look pretty good on her. Though, they were tight enough that her chest was on constant display. “How about you keep that one and I’m sure Allura won’t miss one pair of leggings. But you will have to do laundry eventually and then what?”

Astrid turned to him with a devilish grin. “Well, then the Paladin’s would get quite a show wouldn’t they?” Her smile faltered for a moment. “Shiro, I don’t hate you. They didn’t brainwash me. They did try, but I have been trained to resist that type of manipulation. And I don’t blame you for what they did to me. If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else, and that person may have been turned against you. But I promise, I won’t.”

“I believe you. Hey, what do you say we hunt down Hunk and see if he will make us some of that steamed milk?” He stood and offered her his hand. 

She stared at the proffered hand for a moment before sighing and reaching up to take it. He pulled her to her feet. 

They sat in the common room for hours talking but avoiding the harder topics that could trigger either of them to shut down. Shiro found out that Astrid’s favorite color was black and it made him laugh. He told her that wasn’t a color. She argued that it was the color of his lion and he had to concede that she had a point. He found out that she liked chocolate a lot, but didn’t anticipate ever eating it again. He didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, so he couldn’t feel her pain in its absence. Hunk brought them a new creation of his that was similar to popcorn and they took turns trying to see if they could land pieces in each other's mouths. The endeavor was not a successful one; however, the mice seemed to like it and devoured the majority of what landed on the floor. The other Paladins came and went, joining in on the conversation here and there. Lance convinced Astrid to try her hand at video games, but she promised to do so later. Pidge tried to talk to her about technology, but they found out quickly that she had no interest in the subject and Pidge left. 

Astrid began rubbing her arms. “Is the castle always so chilly?”

“I could warm you up, if you want.” Lance waggled his eyebrows at her.

She smiled and turned to him. “Oh yeah, and how would you warm me up?”

Lance stuttered at having his advances returned and Shiro couldn’t help but laugh. The boy tried. He was always so sure of himself and thought himself quite the ladies man, but he was sure Astrid would be too much woman for him to handle. A blush crept over his cheeks and down his neck.

“I’m waiting, Lance. Show me how you plan to warm me up.” 

Shiro lifted an eyebrow, waiting to see how this was going to go down. He’d never let Lance try and pursue anything before, but now he was interested to see what both of them would do. 

Finally, Lance growled and stormed off. 

Astrid laughed, and it was deep and warm. Shiro was sure it was the first genuine laugh he’d heard from her and it made his belly somersault. 

“I guess we should be getting to bed. We have a lot of shopping to do tomorrow.” They collected their dirty dishes and took them back to the kitchen both rinsing out their own mugs and bowls. Then they made their way back to their rooms. 

“Thank you, Shiro. Tonight could have been really bad for me, but you made it fun. I appreciate it.” Her smile was so warm and genuine that Shiro wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but before he worked up the nerve to do so, she turned to go into her room. 

“You should probably lock that, or you may end up with a midnight visitor.”

Astrid smirked, “Lance? Eh, he’s harmless. Besides, it might be nice to cuddle with someone. And you can’t convince me that if he saw me in my underwear that he wouldn’t run right back out of the room. Not many people can handle all this.” She made a sweeping gesture over her body and did a little shimmy. 

He laughed, but the thoughts in his head were far from funny. Did she even know she was planting images in his own head? He wanted to be the one to cuddle her through the night. He wanted to see her in her underwear, and he wanted to watch her do that little shimmy with nothing on.


	6. Space Mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro and Astrid share in some R&R time. A day of shopping and sharing.

Astrid awoke after a peaceful night’s sleep to a smell she hadn’t expected to ever smell again. She took a deep inhale and could almost taste the bitter tang of the dark liquid. Quickly, she sat up and threw the covers off of her body. The temptation of one taste had her walking to the door in her underwear and she’d almost made it there without putting anything else on. She picked up the tank she’d had on yesterday and pulled it over her head. It fit her like a tight nightgown, coming to about mid-thigh. She figured it was good enough and opened the door. She took a step toward the kitchen, but the smell grew fainter, so she turned back around. Her nose led her back to her room, but it couldn’t be coming from there. Then she realized where it must be coming from.

She approached Shiro’s door and before she could knock the door slid open. Shiro sat in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. But at the moment her mind didn’t register that, only what was in his hand. “Is that coffee?”

He jumped, startled. “Astrid, what are you doing in here?”

“Coffee. Is that coffee?” She pointed to the mug in his hands.

“Uhh… yeah, but…”

She held her hands out to him wanting the mug. She hadn’t had coffee in, she didn’t know how long. When he lifted the mug into her hands she inhaled the steam rising from it. The first sip was a glorious slice of heaven. She moaned and took another sip. Without thought, she sat next to him on the bed. She was going to enjoy this. Savor it. 

Shiro cleared his throat. “Astrid?”

“Hmm.” She wished he’d stop talking and let her enjoy this moment. She’d been addicted to the stuff since she was a teenager. It was her morning routine to sit on the bridge of her ship, looking out over the vast expanse of space and inhaling, savoring, the rich brew before her crew woke for the day.

“You are sitting on my robe.” He let out a nervous chuckle. 

She shifted so he could pull the fluffy fabric out from underneath her. Why did he care about a robe? All she cared about was the coffee and he was ruining it. He tugged just hard enough for her to shift on the bed. She groaned, not liking the jolt and turned to tell him to be quiet and be still. It was then that she realized he was practically naked. She coughed, choking a bit on the hot liquid. 

“Holy shit. I’m sorry.” Her eyes roamed the expanse of his belly before she turned away, blushing. She hadn’t been thinking when she wandered into his room. The promise of her favorite drink had overridden everything else. As he stood to put the robe on, her eyes wandered back to his scarred and muscled body. Damn, he was fit. She turned away quickly, not wanting him to realize she was gawking. 

Then she stood, the bed no longer a comfortable place to be sitting. She didn’t know what to do with herself now. It had been a long time since she’d been thrown by the sight of someone nearly naked. So, nervously, she tried to explain her presence. “I haven’t had coffee in so long. It is my favorite thing in the world. The smell woke me up. I almost walked in here in my underwear.” She bit her lip. That was probably too much information. 

He eyed what she was wearing. “Almost.” His eyebrows rose in amusement. 

She looked down at herself to see the tank had ridden up. He couldn’t see her underwear, but it wasn’t far from it. She smoothed the tank back out with one hand to try and prove that it had been longer earlier, but it was hard to do with one hand and Shiro began to chuckle at her efforts. Finally, she surrendered the mug, handing it back to him. “I assume there is more in the kitchen?”

“There is. But maybe you want to put some pants on. Otherwise, you’ll give Lance a heart attack.” He smirked and took a sip of his coffee. 

She spun on her heel and walked back out of the room and to her own to retrieve said pants. She wasn’t one to get embarrassed easily, but Shiro laughing at her was more than she could deal with at the moment. And now she had to spend the rest of the day with him running errands. Perfect. This was going to be a disaster, she was sure of it.

 

The team gathered into one of the shuttles, the closeness of the space was nearly suffocating. Everyone was so excited about their return to the Space Mall. Pidge and Lance were giddy and bouncing around the cabin. Hunk was talking incessantly about what foods he hoped to find. Astrid had never been big on shopping, but she couldn’t deny she wanted to be in different clothes. Especially since her run-in with Shiro earlier in the morning. Wearing his tank top had lost a bit of its appeal. 

She was sandwiched between him and Lance, which made the short journey even more uncomfortable. If she shifted closer to either one of them they gave her a smug look. So she crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. That didn’t help at all. All she saw was Shiro. It seemed his image had been branded into the back of her eyelids. She was tempted to get up and move, but then he would know why she was trying to get away from him. So she sat there fuming, burning at the thoughts running through her mind. 

When they finally landed, she got up quickly, shaking the nerves from her body. She was ready to get away. The door opened and she hopped out.

“Alright. We have a few supplies we need to get. Hunk, you make sure we have enough food for few weeks. Lance, Pidge, get what you came for and meet us back in the food court. It might be nice to have lunch somewhere other than the castle. I’ll go with Astrid to find some new clothes and to track down some other supplies. Let’s meet in two Vargas.” Shiro gave what Astrid assumed to be money to each Paladin and they went their separate ways. 

“I can get clothes on my own if you have errands you need to run.” Astrid had thought that once they got here she could lose him for a few minutes and clear her head, but it seemed Shiro had different plans. 

“Do you even know what denomination this is?” He held out a gleaming piece of paper and she had to admit she had no idea. Again, he turned a smug look her way.

She huffed and turned to walk away only to realize she had no idea where she was going. So she turned back to him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well. Where are we going?”

They found a store that had clothing that would fit her, not too alien, and she was happy to see they had something similar to leather. She had no idea galactic fashions could mimic what she was used to. A black jacket that had buckles around the waist was her favorite find of the day and she found more Altean leggings, this time black, and a few shirts. They also purchased some new boots and a few pairs of underwear. As she chose the latter, Shiro did his best to feign disinterest, but Astrid heard him cough as she held up a lacy black pair. She knew immediately she had to purchase them. 

Their next stop was a place that sold toiletries. Astrid hated the flowery scented soaps that Allura had given her. She’d never been one to smell like she had stepped out of a garden. It made her feel soft and feminine. She didn’t like that. She’d been forced to prove that female didn’t need to mean sweet, docile or girly. Plus, it irritated her nose. She preferred Earthy scents like sandalwood or amber. She’d even found a scent that was kin to sitting by a fireside. That was her favorite. It reminded her of her time spent on Earth. The times where she was self-sufficient and on her own. 

She opened each container to smell them. Some of the scents were completely foreign to her and she put them back quickly. After what she’d been through, she wanted a reminder of who she was. Out of boredom, Shiro began to assist her. 

“What about this one? It smells nice.” He held the container to her nose.

Astrid inhaled deeply and then coughed hard. “Eww. Shiro, be serious. That is disgusting.” She wasn’t even sure what the scent was, something like a blend of sulfur and flowers. 

Shiro chuckled. It was apparent that in his boredom he would be intent on messing with her. He picked up another container and made a face. When he turned to Astrid, she crossed her arms over her chest and lifted an eyebrow in warning. He placed the container back on the shelf and moved to the next. 

When she finally found a scent she liked, she picked up a few of them happy to find that the one she chose also had a lotion with the same scent. It reminded her of homemade cookies and sugared dates. While it wasn’t quite what she was looking for, it would suffice. At least she wouldn’t be wandering around smelling like a bouquet anymore. As she collected the bottles she thought she would need to see her through the next few weeks, Shiro took one. He lifted the container to his nose. A strange look passed over his face before he handed the container back to her.

“What? You hate it?”

He cleared his throat. “I… uhh… no. It smells like these cookies I used to love. There was a little bakery on the corner, down the street from where I grew up. I would go in and buy them by the dozen. I once ate so many I got sick. Hence, the reason I don’t eat many sweets anymore.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“So you’re telling me that every time you smell me, you’ll be reminded of something that made you sick. Perfect.” She started placing the bottles back on the shelf.

“No, get it. I didn’t mean I didn’t like it. It smells really good actually.” 

She eyed him for a moment, unsure if he was encouraging her to buy it because she liked it or if he was telling the truth. She didn’t want to wear anything that would make him think of regurgitating. They lived in too close quarters for that. 

Finally, she decided he was telling the truth and they made their purchase. 

They continued on, Shiro focused on the supplies he told Allura he would retrieve and Astrid grew bored. When she realized they had made their way to the Earth store, Astrid told Shiro that she wanted to look around and he could meet her there when he was finished. He nodded and told her it shouldn’t take him too long.

The man running the store seemed to be truly excited to have more than one customer on the same day and stuck to her side the entire time. 

After a few minutes, she was sure she wouldn’t find anything of value in the store, but she didn’t want to disappoint the salesman. She considered buying some small trinket. The necklaces in the shop were cute and she’d found a few books that looked interesting. Then she found a mound of the fluffiest blankets. Most had audacious prints, but there was one of a galaxy. It made her smile and she picked it up. It was then that she realized she recognized them. These blankets had gone out of fashion long before the Paladin’s had been alive, but her mother had owned a few. They always had some random animal stitched into the design and she unfolded it to find that this particular one had the outline of a black lion. It was subtle. So subtle that she didn’t think anyone else would notice. 

Just as she was folding the blanket in her arms, Shiro came through the door. “Find anything you’d like?”

“As a matter of fact, I did.” She held up the blanket. “The ship is always so damn cold.

Shiro paid the salesman for the blanket. He stuffed it into a bag and they left the store. Astrid had a moment to wonder about the purchase. She knew she bought it thinking of Shiro, but what would he think of her buying something that reminded her of him? She was tempted to ditch it somewhere, but the thought made her a little heartsick and she realized she wouldn’t let the blanket out of her sight. 

They had lunch in the Space Mall food court. Hunk ordered their food to ensure everyone got something they would like and Astrid found that she liked spending time with all of the Paladins, not just Shiro. Pidge was incredibly smart and had so much to say on any given topic. Hunk was sweet and exceptionally kind. Lance made her laugh, sometimes at him, sometimes with him. And Shiro, he managed to keep them all in line. He was more than their leader. They respected him in a way she had never seen. It was almost like they were his children. She had to smile at that. 

 

Shiro glanced at Astrid to find her smiling at him. It was warm and genuine. He had no idea what he’d done to earn that, but he liked it. The entire time they’d been in the Space Mall she’d avoided looking at him, touching him. He had hoped that this downtime would allow them to spend some time alone together. He knew it had something to do with how they had started their morning. She’d been so single-minded that she hadn’t even realized he’s been practically naked. It offended his pride a little that it took so long for her to notice, but he’d thought they’d left off on good terms. Then she hadn’t said a word to him the entire trip to the mall. He wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“They really look up to you, don’t they?” Her eyes softened and she placed a hand on his arm. 

He looked around the table they occupied. He couldn’t deny that he loved each one of them. They had become his team, his people. “I guess they do. I am their leader. They respect me.”

Astrid shook her head. “No, it’s more than that. You guys are more like a family than a team or small group of soldiers.”

Shiro smiled and looked toward the other Paladins. “I guess we are.”

Her smile faltered and she stood, taking her tray to dump it into the trash receptacle. He followed her, confused by her sudden shift in mood. “Is something wrong?” He placed a hand on her shoulder. 

She turned to him with a sad smile. “No. It’s just that I lost my family when I was young and then when I had finally gained something close to it, I lost it again to the Galra. It is only me being sentimental about things I can’t have and can’t change.”

“What do you mean can’t have? You’re one of us now.”

Astrid’s eyes darted to his in shock. She recovered quickly, but he’d seen it well enough. It seemed that he was getting better about reading her and he was gaining new clues to her quick shifts in mood. They were a mask, hiding something seeded deep within her being. She was good at slipping the mask on when she felt anything that made her uncomfortable. Yet, twice he knew she was uncomfortable around him without ever putting on the mask. First, when she’d realized he stood before her in nothing but his underwear. Then again on the ride over to the Space Mall. She hadn’t even attempted to hide her nerves at being so close to him after their somewhat intimate encounter. Had he been correct in thinking that Astrid had never put on a front for him or Allura?

“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” 

She shifted uncomfortably on her feet but nodded for him to continue. 

“On the Galra ship, you changed your entire demeanor almost instantly. How?”

She bit her lip and ran her fingers through her curls catching one of them and wrapping it around her finger. “It was what I was trained to do. I told you that I was an infiltrator and that’s true, just not the entire truth. When I lost my family, I had nothing. I learned how to survive. I became a really good pick-pocket. I could get in and out of places unseen. I was able to manipulate people into giving me what I wanted. Some people noticed. They took me in and promised me a place to live, as comfortably as I desired, if I would do a few things that they wanted to be done. I agreed.”

He waited to hear more, but when she didn’t say anything else and continued to stare at the floor, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for telling me. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just curious.”

She gave him a tentative smile then nodded her head toward their group, telling him they should head back.


	7. Assistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Galra attack and Astrid questions why the Paladins keep her with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for some of the language, I was trying really hard not to insert Mass Effect language into this fic (omni-tool) so I had to come up with something else to call certain things.

Astrid was in the shower when alarms rang out all over the ship. She dried herself off quickly, wrapping her towel around her head and pulling her clothes on quickly. She tossed her boots outside her door. If there was something that she could help with, she’d be changing again anyway. She made it to the bridge just in time to hear Coran yell something about Galra ships being inbound. A mild panic rose in her gut. She knew who the Paladin’s fought against. They had already been inside one Galra ship. She didn’t think they would be facing them again so soon. Her breath soon turned to ice, burning in its attempt to enter her body. Her chest ached and she saw nothing but stars. 

“Astrid!” Shiro was standing in front of her, his hands gripped her shoulders. 

“I… I’m fine.” She looked into his eyes. She saw the concern there and knew she must have lost some of what was happening. 

“Shiro, you must go. They’ve made it to the training room.” Allura’s eyes shifted between her and Shiro. They hardened when he turned back to her. Shiro was still more concerned about her than whoever Allura was referring to. 

“Go Shiro. I’m right behind you.” She placed her hand on his shoulder and tried to give him a reassuring smile. 

He nodded and pushed past her to make a quick exit. She followed on his heels, her bare feet making much more noise than she knew to be safe. He continued on as she turned off the hallway to her room. She undressed, throwing on the suit and tying her hair up. She had a vain moment, knowing her hair would look horrendous after this, but she couldn’t be concerned about that. Someone was on the ship and Shiro had gone after them. With her helmet on, she could hear Coran giving a play-by-play through the headset. She followed his instructions. 

Soon she came to the scene of the battle. Somehow Galra drones had made it onto the ship. She took a deep breath. It had been a long time since one of these machines had been allowed to touch her, to force her down while she was under the knife. There were three of them and Astrid stood a bit awestruck at seeing Shiro fight. He was quick, agile. He ducked and swerved with eerie precision. She had never seen someone so skilled in hand-to-hand combat. She wished she had her daggers, her throwing stars, but there was no way to have them now. She would have to trust in what the Galra gave her. 

Silently, she made her approach, which wasn’t hard to do with all of the commotion. Then she sank her fist into the first sentry. With her cover blown she dodged and rolled, taking a lower position in case someone swung a sword at her, or a gun. Her sudden appearance distracted one of them long enough for Shiro to sever him in two. That left one. Nodding to each other, they charged the machine. Shiro came in with a punch to the sentry’s face as Astrid dove, driving her fist into its middle. The sentry nearly exploded with their twin impact. 

Coran’s voice then came over their headsets, “Get to the Lions. We need to form Voltron. The particle barrier is nearly down.”

 

Shiro headed for his Lion and Astrid made her way back to the bridge. She stood and watched as each Lion flew from their hangers and into space, into the fray of the oncoming Galra ships. 

The battle was unlike anything Astrid had ever seen before. And Voltron, she’d heard the tales, but seeing it so close was beyond anything she could comprehend. She’d been in the Black Lion, so she held no delusions to how big they were. But nothing could have prepared her to see the armored and well-equipped being that soared through the sky, dismantling anything that came within swords reach. Now she knew why Zarkon wanted it. There was nothing that could stand in its way. 

When the Paladins came back onto the deck, Astrid couldn’t help but look at all of them in a different light. So many times she had thought of them as children, and they were. But these children were special. She’d remember that the next time she spoke to them. It was so easy to forget the path she had taken and how young she had been when her life changed forever. Much younger than any of the people who stood before her now.

“We need to figure out how the Galra keep boarding our ship undetected.” Pidge pulled up a screen on her gauntlet. The schematic seemed to leap from her arm to a holographic projector in the middle of the room. The team gathered around the image and Astrid realized she was no longer needed. 

She made her way back to her room. Sitting in the quiet, she had to wonder what she was doing here. Why were they keeping her onboard? Why hadn’t they dumped her on the first convenient planet? They were obviously capable of handling themselves. They didn’t need her fighting skills or her infiltration skills. Pidge was just as good as she was, even if a little inexperienced. Shiro was supremely skilled in combat. Lance was an ace with a gun. Allura had her Altean magic and Hunk was the heart of the team with impressive engineering skills. What could she even offer them that they didn’t already have? Her skills in manipulation wouldn’t get her very far here, and she found herself realizing that she had no desire to manipulate these people. 

She sat on her bed and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders. She didn’t belong here. These people were all so good, so pure. And inside, what was she? She knew what she was capable of, but did that make her a bad person? Was she a good person who had done bad things? She thought back to the school. Had there been innocent people inside when her bomb went off? It was possible. But she had never felt remorse for setting that particular trap. She’d wanted them all dead. And she would probably do it again. She wanted to do it to the Galra, too. Watch as the entire fleet went up in glorious flame. 

She sighed. There was nothing she could do about any of it at the moment and all she wanted right then was to relax. She considered taking a nap, but she was too wound up for that. So, she pulled out a tablet she’d found on the ship. She had figured out how to purchase a few books and decided now was as good a time as any to get some reading in. 

She had always loved books. They allowed her to escape into a different world, to forget what was going on around her and soak up a different life. And since she’d had very little romance in her life, she found the smutty novels to be particularly enjoyable. Maybe she would never have the epic love stories in the novels, but she could pretend. She could fall for the epic hero alongside the protagonist and then set the book aside as real life needed tending to. Though, she always heard fictional men were much better than the real thing. Maybe she wasn’t missing out on anything really. 

This particular novel was about a young girl becoming enraptured with a hardened mercenary. She loved the contrast in their characters. But wasn’t that usually the case, opposites attracting. She always found that to be a little cliché. Why did it always have to be opposites? Were two like-minded people too boring for fiction? But they did tend to balance each other. 

She was just getting to the part where the star-crossed lovers would meet when her door slid open and Shiro stood in her doorway. 

“What are you doing in here? Hiding?” He stepped into the room without invitation but Astrid didn’t mind. 

“You didn’t seem to need me anymore, so I was just trying to be out of the way.” She turned back to her tablet and continued reading. 

“We probably could have used your expertise, but I understand.” He took a seat at the end of her bed, next to her feet. 

“You don’t feel like a part of this team, yet. But you will. Just give it some time.” He smiled and placed a hand on her foot. 

She jerked as his thumb accidentally grazed her arch. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” He pulled his hand back and a blush crept across his cheeks. 

Astrid laughed. “No, it’s fine. It just tickled.”

Shiro laughed then. “So you’re ticklish. Good to know. So, what are you doing? You seem very interested in that tablet.”

It was Astrid’s turn to blush. “Reading.” 

“I can see that. What are you reading?”

“A book.”

Shiro grinned. “What kind of book?”

Astrid sighed. She supposed there was no harm in telling him. What would he do? “It’s a romance.” She told him the premise of the story, along with a few details about the characters and that they were about to meet for the first time. 

“A romance, really? I would have thought spy novels more your thing.”

Astrid shifted on the bed. Was he judging her? “There is nothing wrong with reading a good romance. Sometimes you read to find something other than yourself. Like an escape. When the world around you is harsh and burning, something soft and tender can be just the thing to make you realize not everything in the world is bad.”

“Sure, if you say so.”

Astrid was stunned. Did Shiro not read? “Well, take this passage for example.” She read him a beautiful description of the world the novel was set in. “Doesn’t that make you want to see it, to maybe see if you feel the same thing in that particular spot and space in time?”

Shiro shrugged. “I like the way you read it, as if it were your words and not the authors. The passion in your voice helps me understand your liking of the novel, but I don’t think I will ever read it the same way you do.”

“Well, then maybe I will have to read it to you. Then you can see why I love it so much.” She was about to stick her tongue out and continue reading, but then Shiro lay back on the bed and said, “Deal.”

 

After Astrid had read a few pages, she noticed Shiro was starting to drift off to sleep. She thought about letting him, but she knew they both needed to grab some dinner, so she leaned over and pushed gently on his shoulder. 

He started, raising quickly, causing her to jump back. It took him a moment to realize where he was.

“Sorry, I just didn’t want us to miss dinner.”

Shiro rubbed the sleep from his eyes and turned with an apologetic smile. 

Before he could speak, Astrid placed a hand on his shoulder. “I should have known better than to wake you up that way. I would have had the same reaction. Don’t apologize.”

He nodded his thanks for understanding. 

Then Astrid set her tablet aside and stood, taking Shiro’s hand and helping him off of the bed. She kept the blanket around her shoulders. The dining hall was always the coldest spot on the ship after all, and they walked to dinner together.

The meal was a glorious one. Apparently, if the Paladins fought, Hunk always prepared a celebratory dinner. She was going to have to help him in the kitchens one day and see if she could learn how he prepared all of these wonderful dishes. She had always loved to cook, but everything here was new to her. It didn’t stop her from trying a little bit of everything. While none of it was familiar, she liked everything. 

“Hunk, you are going to have to teach me about alien foods. I want to be able to cook for myself eventually.” 

“Oh, it’s nothing. You just have to taste things and make sure they are edible. Then you just prepare what feels right.” He smiled, his face covered in sauce.

“I believe you but the last time I cooked, it was with Earth ingredients and techniques. I don’t think the same will apply here. Though, I did have a talent for it. I would cook for my crew all the time.” Astrid was quite proud of the one domestic skill she possessed. She may not be able to stitch her armor and you would never find her babysitting, but she was an excellent cook. 

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Shiro said.

“Well, I dare to say there is still much you don’t know about me, Paladin.” She lifted an eyebrow and smirked at him.

“And there is plenty of time to find out more.” Shiro returned her smirk. 

Lance began to cough, drawing both her and Shiro’s gaze. All of the Paladins had their attention glued to the two of them. Hunk’s mouth hung open, his fork halfway to its destination. Pidge had a small smile on her face. Lance, now recovered, was glaring daggers at Shiro. Allura wore a concerned expression and Coran was giving her a moony look as if watching something glorious unfold before him. 

Astrid wasn’t sure what had just happened, but she was growing slightly uncomfortable. Why was everyone looking at her that way? When it didn’t cease, she finally asked, “What?”

Most cleared their throats and returned to what they were doing, but Lance crossed his arms in front of him and pushed his food away. 

She leaned over and whispered to Shiro. “What just happened?”

He smiled with a devilish look in his eyes. “I have no idea.”

 

That night, she crawled into bed full and happy. After whatever happened with Lance and Shiro was over, the conversation had picked up and they had all decided to watch a few vids. The room that housed the television was a small one, but there were plenty of cushions to spread out on. Astrid sat up against the wall and Shiro sat on her right, Lance plopping down on her left. Everyone else spread out on the floor in front of them. 

The vids ranged from funny things the Paladins had encountered and been able to record, to a show that had aired about Voltron and then dwindled down to vids found of space animals. It seemed “cat vids” could be found on any planet and in any galaxy. 

Soon, Astrid grew tired. Lance was nearly asleep on her shoulder and Shiro was looking a little drowsy. Hunk was snoring loudly, but Pidge was still scrolling through her feed to look for more entertaining content. 

“Pidge, I think I am going to go to bed. Thank you for this. It was fun.” Astrid stood, gently laying Lance on the floor. She smiled at the young Paladin, and Pidge smiled back. It was then that she noticed everyone else was asleep or not far from it. She shut off her gauntlet and flipped the television off. It had them standing in darkness for a moment.

“Woops. Sorry about that.”

Astrid shielded her eyes from the brightness that flooded the room and turned to offer Shiro her hand. He took it and she lifted him to his feet. 

Back in her room, she undressed and got ready for bed. She was almost asleep when she heard soft moaning coming from Shiro’s room. Or at least that was what she thought it was. After a few moments, she wasn’t so sure. When the noises didn’t stop, she got to her feet, wrapping her blanket around her and quickly slipped from her room to his.

Shiro lay curled on the bed. His body was shaking and Astrid quickly realized what was happening. Her heart broke and a tear slid down her cheek. She knew she shouldn’t wake him. He wouldn’t know what was happening. But she needed to do something. 

She approached the bed, cautious and quiet. He was deep in the throes of his nightmare. Tears coated his face and wet his pillow. She had to place a hand over her mouth to stifle her own moan. He looked so broken, so defeated. In the short time that she had known him, she’d never thought to see him like this. He seemed so in control and hadn’t he helped her through her first nightmare? How did he do that when he was going through the same thing himself?

She crawled onto the bed. If there was one thing that could help, it would likely be physical contact. Knowing someone else was there. Sliding in behind him, she wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close. At first, he tried to squirm away, but she whispered to him, “Shh, it’s okay. It’s me, Shiro. It’s Astrid. I have you. I won’t let go. I have you. You are safe. Shh.” She rocked her body gently. It was a technique that always helped her fall to sleep and she hoped it would also comfort him. 

It wasn’t long before his sobs quieted, but she didn’t want to risk them starting back up. So she stayed how she was, rocking him, whispering words of comfort until even she fell asleep.


	8. Coffee and Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro wakes up to find Astrid in his bed. When he can't wake her, he ploys her with coffee and they open up about what has happened to them in their pasts.

Warmth engulfed his body. He shifted slightly and heard a soft moan as an arm wrapped tightly around him. He couldn’t remember a time when he had felt so rested. He felt safe. It took him a moment to realize that, as comfortable as he was, something wasn’t right. There shouldn’t be a soft body nuzzling into his back. There shouldn’t be a hand stroking along his abdomen. He lifted his arm to see the smaller mimic of his own. Astrid, but why? Why was she in his bed? Why was she holding him?

He rolled to face her and she moaned.

“Stop moving,” she grumbled as she tried to snuggle closer. 

Tentatively he placed his hand on her side. His other arm, he slid under his own pillow. She wore his tank top again and the lacy black panties that she had purchased on their trip to the Space Mall. He was tempted to run a finger under the fabric, but he still didn’t know why she was there. He didn’t want to be presumptuous. She wasn’t under the covers with him but on top of them, her own blanket discarded at the end of the bed. Her hair was in wild tangles, falling into her face and spread across one of his pillows. He pushed the strands away from her face. She moaned as his fingers grazed her cheek and forehead. 

“Astrid,” he whispered. 

She grunted and reached up. Her hand found his face and she placed a metal finger to his lips. Apparently, she was not a morning person and wanted him to be quiet. Had it even registered that she was in his bed and he was now aware of it? 

She looked so serene, so peaceful lying there next to him. He almost didn’t want to wake her fully. But he knew he should. 

“Astrid. Wake up,” he whispered again, but he still only received grunting and shoves.

Then it dawned on him. He knew how to wake her up. He slid out from under her arm and grabbed her blanket. Then, he pulled on his pants. He wrapped the fluffy fabric around him, inhaling the smell of freshly baked cookies and her. It stirred his desire for her. The smell reminded him of home, of the days when he was happy. He hadn’t been truly happy in a very long time.

He made his way to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. He hoped he wasn’t recreating an embarrassing moment for her. He hoped she saw it as sweet and not as an insult to her pride. 

While he was waiting for the pot to finish brewing, Pidge came into the kitchen. She looked at the blanket around his shoulders curiously. 

“Is that Astrid’s blanket?” She had a small smirk and she shifted her glasses taking a closer look at the galaxy print. 

“Yes. She left it in my room and I found it before I found my robe.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal. 

“And the two mugs?” She gestured to the counter and lifted an amused eyebrow. 

“She really likes coffee and the last time I brought some back and didn’t bring her any, she stole mine.” He was caught and he knew it, but what was there to say? As far as he knew, all that had happened was she came into his room to sleep in his bed. Plus, there was no way he was going to tell Pidge she was lying half-naked in his bed. That was not a visual that the young Paladin needed. 

“I think it’s cute. The way you guys look at each other. The blanket. I’m happy for you, Shiro.” She reached into the fridge and grabbed the container of milk. 

“You think she likes me?” He hadn’t been sure. So many things had happened that made him wonder if she could like him. She was created to bring him down. How would he feel if he had been given that kind of news? That someone he knew was the reason he was tortured, forced to fight, to become the Champion. They had spoken little about that fact. She had said she didn’t hate him, but did that mean she liked him?

“How closely have you looked at that blanket?” Pidge gestured to his makeshift robe. “She bought that the day we went to the Space Mall, right?”

Shiro shrugged off the blanket and held it up. He didn’t see anything unusual. 

“Here, let me hold it up.” Pidge took it and took a few steps back. 

Then, he saw it. There was the subtle outline of a black lion head stitched among the stars. His stomach did a somersault. He knew there was a blush creeping into his cheeks. How had he not noticed this before? She wore the blanket around the castle like a jacket. Had everyone but him noticed the subtle stitching? Surely if Lance had seen it, he would have said something. But Pidge had always had an eye for detail. Maybe the boys were just as oblivious as him. 

He smiled. “Thanks, Pidge.” 

She nodded and left the kitchen.

Shiro wrapped the blanket back around his shoulders and took the mugs of coffee back to his room. Astrid had sprawled her body across his bed in his absence. Her leg was cocked at an angle, her round bottom on full display. Her right arm stretched the length of the bed as if in sleep she was searching for him. He would have stood there admiring the view for a while, but it seemed the coffee had its intended effect. 

She stirred, rolling to her back and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She stretched and the tank rose even higher, exposing her most intimate parts for a moment before she pushed the tank back down to cover herself. Shiro could feel his response pushing against his briefs. God, she was beautiful. Her supple curves would surely drive him insane if he didn’t get some sort of response from her. He had thought back to the moment he tried to kiss her many times. Why had she pulled away? She never rejected his touch. She seemed to flirt with him. Was it all in his head?

He set the mugs down on the table next to the bed and lifted the blanket from his shoulders to place it over her. Mostly for his own sanity, but also to protect her modesty. Though, from what he’d seen, she wasn’t all that modest. 

He sat next to her on the bed, partly because he wanted to be close to her, but if he was honest, to hide the fact that he was still growing harder. 

She sat up and the tank top shifted, exposing some of her breasts. Shiro tried his hardest not to look, but he found that what he wanted to see and wanted to do warred within him. Then, she brought her knees to her chest and leaned forward, stretching her back. It gave him a small reprieve from the temptations of her body.

“Good morning,” she moaned sleepily. Then she began looking around. 

Shiro knew what she was looking for and picked up the mug he’d sat on the table and handed it to her. She wrapped her small hands around the mug, absorbing the heat. He found it amusing that she did that, even with the metal hand, as if she forgot it wasn’t like her other one, that it could feel the warmth. She inhaled deeply, a small moan of pleasure slipped from her lips. It was deep with morning gravel and had Shiro clearing his throat as he tried to readjust his seat. 

He watched her sip the hot liquid slowly. She wasn’t kidding when she told him she loved the stuff. It was apparent in the look of sheer ecstasy that slipped over her as she drank. Then her tongue darted out to capture a drop that clung to her lip. He wanted so badly to bend down and place his lips there. To feel her tongue dart out to taste his. 

She rolled her neck, lifting her hand to massage away some ache. Shiro was sure he was going to lose it soon. To give up trying to figure her out and simply take her. Watching her drink coffee and massage her aches away next to him shouldn’t be erotic. What was he going to do if she did make a move? 

She was about halfway through her mug when her awareness finally kicked in and she realized where she was. She turned to look at him and a blush spread across her cheeks. God, he loved that. She had never been shy around anyone else, but for some reason, she was with him. It did nothing to help him with his current predicament, but he was beginning to care less and less. 

She handed him the mug and he placed it back on the table. “I guess you are wondering why I am here.”

It wasn’t a question but Shiro nodded. Yes, he did want to know. 

“I heard you last night. You were having a nightmare. I only wanted to help you like you helped me. I guess I fell asleep.”

It was Shiro’s turn to be embarrassed. “How bad was it?”

She turned to face him then, tucking her legs under her and leaning on her elbow. “Shiro, don’t ask that. You know as well as I do that you can’t control it. But, I’m sure I am the only one who heard you. Besides, you stopped once I crawled into bed with you, so I stayed.” She dropped her eyes to her hands. She ran a finger over the smooth metal that was her arm.

“Do you hate that thing as much as I hate mine?” 

Astrid met his eyes. She examined him for a moment. Then she took her mechanical hand and entwined her fingers with his. “What happened to us was awful. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But they do make us stronger. The Galra gave us an advantage without ever thinking it could be turned against them. Do I hate it? No. I hate how I got it, but I can’t hate something that makes me better. They didn’t change me, only my body. Would I hate a plastic surgeon who gave me more tone? No. I would appreciate the gift. But he would have cut me open, modified my body. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be thanking the Galra anytime soon, but I’m not going to hate something just because it was given to me.”

She was amazing. What twist of fate had pulled this woman into his life? How could she look at everything that had happened to her and see opportunities? He took in their entwined hands. Then, she did something completely unexpected. She lifted their hands to her lips and she kissed each mechanical finger. He had always seen the arm as disgusting, as a horror he couldn’t escape, but here she was trying to show him that she didn’t think that at all. 

“You are amazing,” He whispered, searching her eyes. 

She let out a small laugh. “I know.”

“I mean it. I don’t know how you accept all of this and make it a good thing. I have always thought it made me a monster, something other than human. Even when I crashed into Earth, the scientists wanted to examine me. Examine my arm. They started talking about running tests on it. I knew then, I would never be looked at the same. I would always be different.”

She gave him a warm smile. “Different isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes it is what sets us apart that make us great. All of the Paladins are different. Allura has magic. Pidge is a child genius. The others have so many qualities that set them apart. It was the reason the Lions chose you. You have the ability to diffuse any situation and be the voice of reason. You think clearly at all times. It is what makes you a great leader.”

Shiro smiled, he supposed she was right. But it didn’t make him accept the metal arm any easier. “Not too long ago, the castle was infected with a Galra virus. It corrupted everything. It attacked all of us, playing on our deepest fears. We had a Galra named Sendak imprisoned in a cryo pod. We were trying to extract his memories to get some information on Zarkon. When the castle turned on me it used Sendak to remind me of what the Galra had done to me. He told me that this was a blessing, that it was the strongest part of me and that I would always be different. Always part Galra.”

Astrid stroked her fingers along his metal arm, much like she had just done to hers. It seemed she was determined to show him that she did not see him, or their shared appendages that way. “It’s okay to be afraid, Shiro. Fear tells us that there is something to fight for. It’s what we do with that fear that sets us apart.”

His laugh was humorless, “I shot him into space, the whole pod. It was stupid. But when it happened, I could only feel the fear of being on the table as they tortured me.” He had never been comfortable enough to talk about any of this before, but now he had someone who would understand. Someone who could actually sympathize with what he’d been through. 

“When I was younger, I lost my family and had to struggle to survive. I adapted. I refused to let my situation have control over me. I started learning how to be what people wanted me to be. I learned to play a role, to make people see me the way I wanted them to see me. It caught the attention of some vile people. They used me to get what they wanted and then offered me the world on a silver platter. That sliver platter was an illusion. I was tortured then and taught the ways of manipulation to a degree that shouldn’t be possible. You’ve seen me do it. It wasn’t long before I had had enough. I used all of the tools they had instilled in me and destroyed them and their institution. I’m not proud of that, but if I hadn’t had the skills they taught me, I wouldn’t have been successful. This arm, it’s just another tool that I didn’t ask for, but makes me stronger.”

Shiro’s heart broke for her. He had seen her use the skills she’d been given. That was how she was able to flip a switch and become a different person, years of torture even before the Galra. “I am so sorry.”

“I’m not. It made me who I am.” She gave him a small smile.

God, he was beginning to realize his feelings for her growing. This was much more than lust. Yes, he wanted her, but with every small glimpse into her world, he sank deeper into her. Every time she opened up to him, he got a glimpse into who she really was and to how much she had been through. She was open and honest, even though she’d been trained to be the exact opposite. She was compassionate, helping him when she needed help, too. And she was strong in mind and in body. 

He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. He didn’t want to ruin what he was building with her. He’d seen how she acted with the Galra who had enslaved her. He remembered seeing them in the coms room. The Galra had held her like a lover. Was that another part of herself that she had sacrificed along the way? Was that why she pulled away when he’d tried to kiss her? Did she not want to be intimate in that way because of her past? She touched him freely, accepted his touch, but she had never made a move on him. Their most intimate encounter, she hadn’t even realized he was nearly naked. And when she did, she ran away. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

He opened his eyes and turned to face her. “You said you were taught many ways to manipulate someone. Did that include…” He didn’t know how to finish the question.

She nodded. “When necessary, yes.” Her eyes turned from his face and she released his hand. He could see the pain of the admission and it broke another piece of his heart. 

“Astrid, I am so sorry. I didn’t realize that when I tried to kiss you. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known that it wasn’t something you wanted.” He now felt like that one moment had broken anything they could have had. Was that why she had avoided touching him at the mall? Was that what had her so worked up on the trip there? How had he screwed this up so much without ever intending to?

“Shiro, if you want to kiss me you can. That day I was simply trying to get my bearings and I wanted to see if I was still the same person. If I could pull away, knowing it was something I wanted as well.”

That was all the invitation he needed. He lifted his hand to her face, stroking her cheek and she leaned into the touch. Then, he lifted her chin and pulled her closer. When his lips met hers, electricity moved between them, igniting every fiber of his being. Her lips were so soft, so pliant. And she returned his kiss with fervor. 

She shifted on the bed, sitting up a little straighter. Her hands found his shoulders and he could feel the pressure of them as she clung to him. The boldness of this moment gave him the push he needed to lift her by her hips and place her in his lap. 

She sucked in a breath as she felt his hardened cock rub against her swollen clit. 

He had only a moment to take in the warmth of her when Coran’s voice sounded over the coms requesting the Paladin's and Astrid’s presence on the bridge.


	9. Who Saved Who

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid and Shiro grow closer and bond over their past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I know nothing about ships, so pardon if this is not something that would be legit. Just going with what I've seen from the show.
> 
> Song Inspiration for this chapter:  
> https://youtu.be/4cEe3AB0hfc

Astrid pressed into Shiro’s body. His hands stroked her thighs, the metal one a cool contrast to the heat of her body. She didn’t care if Coran was summoning them. She wanted him and wanted him now. She rocked her hips into him and he moaned into her ear, setting his teeth in her earlobe. 

“Astrid, we have to go. We still have to get dressed and we are needed. Coran wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.” He said the words, but his hands slipped under her shirt to wrap around her waist. 

She bent her head to nuzzle his neck. Her tongue drawing circles that she then covered with her lips. His skin tasted so good. She wanted nothing more than to trace every inch of him with the slick muscle. She wanted to trace his scars. To taste his desire, run her fingers over his muscles, sink her teeth into the dip at his hip, dig her nails into his back as he sank into her. 

Then he lifted her and rolled on top of her. He kissed her passionately, his hips undulating. When he pulled away, he placed his forehead on hers. “Later, Astrid.” He said before forcing his body away from her. 

The absence of his body made her ache in a way she couldn’t remember ever feeling. Her heart raced, her fingers itched to touch him, and her brain was clouded with thoughts of him. Even with him standing just feet in front of her. She’d never wanted anyone as bad as she wanted him. And it wasn’t just his body, which was devastatingly beautiful, scars and all, but she adored everything about the man in front of her. She felt him inside of her, under her skin, in her mind, settling into her heart. There was only one thing that was missing. 

But she knew they had to get moving. Their work was too important to put off, no matter how much they wished they could stay just as they were. As Shiro dressed, Astrid grabbed her blanket and slipped out of the room to do the same.

 

“It seems we may have found a few places the Galra could have infiltrated the castle. There are a few vents that could be easily… unbolted?” He looked to Pidge to ensure he had the wording correct. She nodded and he continued. “Sealing them could prevent them from entering again. Pidge and Hunk will be working on boosting security in other areas of the ship. Lance, you’ll be assisting me…”

“I know, I know. Cleaning duty.” Lance crossed his arms over his chest and gave a very pouty face. It made Astrid chuckle.

“Well, I was going to say you’d be assisting me in watching the monitors, to see if Pidge and Hunk trigger anything on them, but if you’d like to clean…” his words trailed off.

“No, no. I’ll sit and watch monitors. That’s cool. I can handle that.” He took a seat at his station and pulled up the monitors in small view. 

“Astrid and Shiro, we will need you to suit up and seal those vents,” Allura stated. 

Shiro nodded and they headed back to their rooms to change into their space suits. 

Once in their gear, they headed for the ladder that would lead them to the surface of the castle. Shiro went ahead of her to open the hatch and then reached down to give her a hand up. She was thankful that he chose to use his human arm because once out of the tunnel, she lost gravity for a moment and nearly went flying. He held on, anchoring her, pulling her close to his body. 

She looked up to see a smirk on his face. 

“You did that on purpose.” She smacked his arm, but it did little in the zero-g of space. 

“I figured you forgot to turn on your gravity boots.” He tapped the toe of his boot to the button near her ankle. 

She settled down on the surface of the castle, but Shiro didn’t let go. He held her close, gazing into her eyes and opened his mouth as if to say something, and then they were quickly reminded their coms were not private.

“The vent you are looking for is to your right, not far. Just keep walking and you’ll see it.” Coran chimed in their ears. 

They decided to focus on the task at hand. Shiro took her hand and they made their way to the vent. 

“Have you done this before,” Astrid asked. 

“A couple of times. I’ve sealed doors and such. Should be easy, we just have to be careful and not poke holes in the ship.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “Show me.”

Shiro powered up his arm and smoothed his hand over the surface of the vent fusing the edges shut. Astrid bent down and mimicked him on the other side. They were able to work quickly and efficiently, each taking two edges and then ensuring an even seal where they met. They trekked the ship to find the other vents and do the same. 

“See, I told you not everything about these things is bad.” Astrid held up her still glowing hand. 

“I suppose not.” Shiro smiled. “Coran, we’ve finished sealing the vents. Is there anything else you need us to do while we are out here?”

Coran told them to head back inside and see if they could help Pidge and Hunk determine any other infiltration points, and see if they could trip any of the new sensors that they had placed. 

Astrid was a little excited about the prospect. She had yet to see a majority of the ship. The Paladins were always busy doing one thing or another and she’d never received a full tour. The castle was huge and she knew there were plenty of things hidden away. Lance had mentioned something about a pool. Hunk and Pidge had said something about a lab. She knew a training room existed and she had wanted to utilize it but had no idea where it was. 

They ventured room-to-room following Coran, then Pidge’s instructions. Astrid was surprised to find that the castle had a VR room. She’d heard of such things but had never seen one. Shiro explained that it had only been used to store Allura’s Father’s AI. She asked him about that. She had never heard of an AI with memories of a past life. It disturbed her on some level to know there was a way someone could extract memories of another and preserve them in such a way. But she kept most of that to herself, not wanting to offend the Princess in any way.

After they had gone through the castle and tripped all the alarms Hunk and Pidge had set, everyone began to grumble about being hungry. Lance was growing irritable, Pidge tired. So they decided to call it a day. The castle was in its best defensive state, even though Pidge continued to ramble about ways it could still be improved. Astrid wondered if the girl was ever quiet and if her mind ever just let her be. She knew it was hard to be so young and focused on survival, but she’d never suffered the word vomit that Pidge was so fond of. 

The group met in the dining hall and Coran brought them bowls of the food goo. Astrid was growing fond of the bright green stuff, but truly missed the hearty meals she had prepared for her crew. She swirled her spoon through the goo, scooping some and then letting it fall back into the bowl. 

Shiro’s hand covered hers. “Is there something wrong?”

She stopped playing with her food. She hadn’t meant to draw attention to herself. “No. I’m fine. Just missing some of the foods I used to like. I suppose I will have to get used to this stuff, but it just isn’t the same.”

“I hear you,” Hunk said. “I miss pizza, and egg rolls, and…” His list continued, but Astrid just smiled, no longer paying attention. 

“What do you miss,” Shiro asked.

“Fish. I used to make this wonderful fish fillet with a white wine sauce and risotto. I liked making dishes that took time. That you had to lovingly craft. Risotto needs to be watched over, cared for, or you can mess it up fairly easily. Or Minestrone. The time it took to prepare all of the vegetables, making the broth, it all took time and care.” She was smiling like an idiot just thinking about it. She could smell the meal as she began talking about and her mouth had begun to salivate. She knew it was foolish. She couldn’t have these things and it was only going to make the meals she would have to consume that much more foreign. 

She pulled herself from her thoughts to see everyone at the table staring at her. “Okay, guys. You have to stop doing that. It freaks me out.”

“Sorry,” Pidge said. 

“Yeah, sorry,” Lance repeated.

“I can show you how to cook some of the things I’ve figured out how to make. Some of it is still a little weird, but I know what you mean about missing the foods from Earth. My mom taught me how to cook before I left for the Garrison. It helps me remember her a little.” Hunk grew a little teary eyed.

“Mine, too. That’s part if the reason I love it so much. She was an excellent cook. She taught me most everything I know. Some of it is self-taught, but I do remember her standing over a stove for hours, just to make sure dinner was perfect.” Astrid could feel the prick of tears in her own eyes, but she quickly cleared her head. She didn’t want anyone to see her like that. Crying over her dead Mother was something she hadn’t done in a long time. 

Shiro gave her hand another squeeze. Apparently, she hadn’t hidden the tears from him. He gave her a small smile and she returned it and returned to her food. She swallowed the green goop without tasting it. It was a small thing to share about herself but it was also the first time she had opened up to so many people at once. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She shifted in her chair and cast glances to each of the Paladins trying to gauge whether or not they had noticed her slip, but the conversation turned back to normal things. 

But Shiro’s eyes remained on her. Soon she lost any appetite she had and excused herself, returning to her room. 

 

Shiro was stunned to see Astrid open up to the Paladins. It was the first time he’d seen her actually relax and let her guard down. And it was over food. When he’d saw her pushing at the goo with her spoon, he had thought that something else was bothering her. He hoped it wasn’t what had happened between them, but he hadn’t thought she would be feeling nostalgic. She didn’t seem the type. How did he know so little about her, yet feel such a deep connection to her? It seemed that every time he had thought they’d grown close, he would be reminded that they had only known each other for a few weeks and he’d used none of that time to ask any relevant questions about her past. He only knew what he assumed to be true. 

He couldn’t stop himself from watching her as she spoke so dreamily about cooking. It was something that seemed small, though she spoke of it with a sense of adoration. It wasn’t until Hunk spoke of his Mother, that he saw a shift in her. It wasn’t the mask he was so used to seeing, but something real. Something deep. Her hand had begun to flex under his and he could see the sheen of tears fill her eyes before the mask was back in place. Her Mother was a vulnerable place for her. He had begun to think he was the only vulnerability she had. Maybe that was selfish or wishful thinking.

When she excused herself, he knew that the admission had taken something from her, but he wasn’t sure what that would be. It hadn’t helped that he wasn’t the only one who noticed. Everyone had been surprised to hear her speak so fondly of something. Or, maybe it was his reaction to her. It wouldn’t be the first time that his obvious feelings for her had presented themselves in front of the group. 

He had flirted with her, causing the first instance of the group staring at them in disbelief. Then, tonight, he had placed his hand on hers and left it maybe a little too long. It dawned on him that it probably looked as if he was holding her hand. 

“Alright, let’s just get this out in the open.” All eyes turned to him and then shifted nervously to each other. “Yes, I like Astrid. Is that a problem?” He crossed his arms over his chest and met each set of eyes that turned his way.

When no one spoke, Pidge stood. “Well, I for one, am happy for you.”

Hunk was next. “Hey, I like her, too. I mean… maybe not in the same way you do. But she’s cool and yeah.”

Lance huffed, “Whatever.” He made a shooing motion with his hand.

Shiro then turned to Allura. She didn’t speak for a moment, only examined him. Then she sighed. “If you like her, I suppose it is fine. I just don’t want you to get hurt. She seems a bit… duplicitous.”

He nodded. She wasn’t wrong and he couldn’t fault Allura for being a little cautious. He appreciated her honesty. 

Then he saw the moony look in Coran’s eyes and was afraid to hear his answer to the current situation. “Ahh, young love.” He started, but Shiro rolled his eyes and pushed away from the table. 

 

Astrid was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her blanket around her shoulders and tablet in her lap. She had a finger to her lips and was chewing on the nail tip. She looked up when her door slid open. 

“I thought I’d find you here.” Shiro smiled and leaned against her door frame.

Astrid snorted. “Yeah, because I told you I was going to bed.”

“And we both know you were just running away.” Shiro lifted an eyebrow in challenge. 

She sighed and set the tablet on her side table, then wrapped her blanket tighter around her body. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Astrid, it’s okay to get emotional. We all have family we are missing. We all have homes we wish to return to. Our mission has pulled us out of lives we were comfortable with and placed us all somewhere we never asked to be.” He pushed away from the wall and walked to the edge of the bed. He sat, placing his hand on her leg. 

“I don’t like talking about my past, Shiro. It isn’t a happy one. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve… done things. I’m not proud of them, but I also don’t regret them. I prefer to look ahead and move on. Dwelling on the past just brings pain and I’ve had enough of that to last many lifetimes.” 

Shiro understood. He didn’t like talking about what happened to him in prison. He’d always been told that talking about these things would help him work through them, but he liked Astrid’s approach a little more. He liked that she was able to push those memories aside and look forward. Whatever had happened in the past could stay there. What mattered was who they were now. 

What he knew of her now was that she was passionate. The things she loved, she loved with her entire being. She was determined. When she wanted something she didn’t hold back from taking it. She was nostalgic for the good things in life. She was protective. She’d proven it in the way she got them out of the Galra ship. She was surprisingly optimistic. The way she always spoke about never regretting what had happened to her, how it had made her the person she was today. How she saw opportunities where others didn’t. 

“Why are you looking at me like that again? Like I am a puzzle you are trying to figure out?” She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. 

“Maybe because you are and I am.” Shiro smirked.

Her brows knitted together and her lips pursed. She didn’t like his answer but was trying to figure out why.

“You’ve been through so much, much more than I have, yet you have a positive outlook on life and a way of seeing things others don’t. I just want to understand why. I want to get there myself. Since my imprisonment, I’ve had a hard time dealing with what I am, who I am. I’m hoping you’ll help me with that.” 

“What do you mean? What you are?” Her eyes grew concerned and she shifted closer. 

“I told you that we had captured Sendak and that he got into my mind, or the ship did. However it happened, he was able to play on my deepest fears.” Shiro flexed his metal arm. “This thing. I’ve never accepted it as a part of me, but you do. You know it makes you stronger. You don’t seem to care that it isn’t you, it’s Galra.” 

Again she slipped her metal hand into his. “Shiro, just because they took your arm and replaced it with this doesn’t make it any less a part of you. And it only has power over you if you let it. You aren’t Galra in any way. This does not make you one of them, does not give them control over you. You were strong before they gave you this. I’ve seen you fight. The Galra didn’t do that. I’ve seen you tear apart their tactics. Your mind is strong. You don’t have to let this have control over you.”

“It doesn’t stop me from feeling like a monster.”

Astrid laughed. “Is that how you see me? A monster?”

Shiro was taken aback. That wasn’t what he meant at all. His eyes met hers, an apology ready on his lips, but then he saw her smirk and realized she was joking. 

“You are beautiful, Shiro. Inside and out.” She lifted her hand to his face and traced the scar there. “These change nothing.” Then she stroked his arm. “This changed nothing. You are a fighter. You are brave. You put others before yourself, risking everything to protect them. You are selfless and it shows in every aspect of your being. Your scars and your arm only show what you are willing to do to protect those you love and there is nothing more beautiful than that.”

She stood and removed her shirt. It was the first time he’d seen her topless and she was breathtaking. He had thought to see her naked, or partially so, would be like seeing any other woman naked. But she was showing him more than her breasts. She was showing him her past. She had almost as many scars as he did. She lifted her hair and turned her back to him. He could see the marks where she had been lashed with a whip. He could see the small marks that lined the base of her neck where she’d had needles sunk into her flesh. When she turned back to him, he noticed the scars on her belly and torso. All of them placed where they wouldn’t be noticed while wearing clothing. 

“I won’t lie to you and tell you I got these protecting people, but I am also a fighter. I decided this wouldn’t happen to anyone else. Some of these are from other fights, but I don’t wish them away. They remind me of what I fought for.”

Shiro lifted his hands to her waist and pulled her close. “You are…” He sighed and placed his forehead on her chest.

“Amazing? I know.” She ran her fingers through his hair as he held onto her. 

He stayed like that for a while, holding her while she pet him. Her hands left his hair to massage his shoulders, and then they made their way down his back. She used her nails to gently scratch along his skin and if he were a cat he would have been purring. 

Finally, he lifted his head and she bent to kiss him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut in next chapter ;)


	10. Two of a Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for what I'm sure everyone came for ;)

Astrid climbed into his lap. He pulled her closer ensuring her body was flush to his. Her kiss was deep, passionate and unforgiving. Her tongue delved between his lips and she rocked into the kiss. She pulled him closer, hands on his neck and thumbs skimming his earlobes. It sent little shivers through his body. He couldn’t keep his arms still. His hands seemed determined to touch every inch of her. He stroked along the scars of her back, gripped her waist, tugged her curls. 

With his hands in her hair, she leaned back, exposing her throat and giving him a wonderful view of her full breasts, the pink areolas perked and awaiting his touch. His tongue skimmed the tip, causing her hips to buck against him and a simpering whine to leave her lips. He took her nipple into his mouth then, tugging gently and sucking the tip until it pearled under his swirling tongue. 

Her eyes filled with desire caused his cock to jump. She had never looked more beautiful. He had watched her for an entire week, enclosed in the healing pod and she had looked so peaceful, angelic even, but it didn’t compare to the burning look in her eyes now. It made the blue sparkle brilliantly. 

He returned to her lips, thinking he would never get enough of them. It seemed every time she kissed him, she took in a part of him. When she pulled away, she returned that piece that was damaged, broken and healed it. He was slowly becoming a better version of himself. She saw his flaws and made them seem like something he’d earned, a badge of honor, instead of the horror he’d always thought they were. 

Her hands found the hem of his shirt and he pulled away long enough for her to lift it over his head. Her fingers traced the lines of his scars and she smiled. “Beautiful,” she whispered, before placing her lips over one on his shoulder. 

Gripping her hips, he stood and laid her down on the bed. He tugged her leggings off. He stood admiring the view as she spread her legs for him. He had hoped to see the black lacy panties again, but this time they were a blue in the galaxy print she seemed to favor. They hid her from him, but he didn’t care. He liked that something as small as her choice of underwear gave him yet another clue to the things she liked. 

She reached out to him, beckoning him to come back to her. He undid the belt at his waist and pushed his pants off. His cock sprang from the band on his underwear and slapped his belly. He was fairly certain he’d never been so hard and worried for a moment if he would be able to last long enough to ensure Astrid was pleasured. But there was one way to know for certain. 

He hooked his arms around her legs and pulled her to the edge of the bed, then slipped her panties off to finally reveal the sweet heat that awaited him. Kneeling by the bed, he dipped his head to kiss her inner thighs. His hands brushed her thighs causing her to squirm and her hips to rise to greet him. 

He couldn’t help but smile. He could smell her desire now and it was a heady, delicious thing. He’d always loved knowing he could bring a woman to climax with his mouth. No one could ever say he wasn’t a generous lover. He loved feeling a woman’s thighs gripping his face, loved it when they bucked against his lips. Now, he was determined to please Astrid to the best of his ability. 

His tongue slicked over her opening before flicking out to find her nub. He hooked the folds with his tip and applied the pressure needed to expose her clit to him. He sucked the tiny nub, stroking it gently with his lips. She bucked underneath him and he gripped her hips to keep his place. Her moans goaded him and guided him and he explored her further. The slick muscles delved into her, licked around her folds, up her slit and returned to her now engorged clit. 

When her moans turned into quick panting breaths, he knew she was close. He slipped two fingers inside of her to help her come to her brink. As he penetrated her, she gasped and her fingers slid into his hair. She tugged gently, pulling him even closer causing him to seal his lips over her as his tongue danced across her. 

She came hard and he was surprised by how loudly she screamed her pleasure. He chuckled. “Shh, or everyone will know what’s going on in here.”

“I don’t care,” she whispered breathlessly. 

He began stroking her again, pumping his fingers inside her and hooking them to find her pleasure center. Her moans grew ever louder until finally, he covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle them. The look she shot him told him that if that had been his human hand, she may have bit it out of spite. 

As her orgasm built, she gripped the hand over her mouth. She wasn’t trying to pull it away, only trying to find a way to anchor herself. Again, Shiro smiled. He liked her holding onto him as if he were her calm in the storm. Granted, this was a storm of his own making.

After her second orgasm, she grew impatient. She tugged on his arms, pulling him up off of the floor and onto the bed. 

“Shiro,” she whispered. 

He dipped his head to kiss her, but that was not what she wanted. She wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips to meet his. 

Her eagerness made him growl into her mouth and he positioned himself to sink into her. As his head penetrated her slick opening, both of them sucked in a breath. His eyes met hers and didn’t leave as he slid deeper. He watched as her eyelids fluttered and she bit her lip. Then, she gripped his arms as he sank the final inch. Her back arched, her chest pressed into his. He dipped his head to suck in the pink tip and she squirmed, moving her hips along his length. 

Slowly, gently he moved his hips. In a steady rhythm, he pushed and pulled. He wanted to savor every moment that he could. Her walls pressed in around him as she lifted her hips, making him go faster and harder than he wanted, but he wouldn’t stop her. 

“Shiro, please,” she moaned on a whimper and he realized his slow motion was a torment for her, a slow, drawn-out tease. 

He picked up speed, lowering his body and tucking his arm under her shoulders to pull her harder into him. She intertwined their fingers, giving him a sense of a deeper connection. He was fucking her and she was holding his hand. He kissed her. This time he held nothing back. He wanted her to know how much he wanted her, needed her, craved her. The kiss was like a brand on both of their souls. An acceptance of each other on a primal level. 

It was then that something shifted. He closed his eyes, recognizing the sensation. What he saw stunned him. He could see his body hovering over Astrid’s but not like he did in the Astral Plane. This was different, as if he was seeing himself through Astrid’s eyes. He’d done this before, with the Paladins. That took special equipment though. But he knew it was through Astrid’s eyes because what he saw was truly beautiful. He wasn’t conceited enough to think that of himself, but he knew the words to be true. He examined his arm and heard the word, kindred. Then he looked deep into his own eyes and knew he was thinking the same thing she was. 

Soul-mates.

Was that a real thing? Did people have true soul-mates in the world? He thought that was only a myth made up by people who felt a strong connection to one another. But then something else happened. 

Now, it wasn’t just him and Astrid in the mind meld. The Black Lion roared in their minds. Then it clicked. The reason she was able to control the Black Lion. She was his soul-mate. The Black Lion had known it from the very beginning. 

Shiro didn’t much believe in destiny, but he’d seen too much over the last few years to write it off. And he realized something else. Here, in this place, it was quiet, calm, serene even. There was nothing pulling at his mind. There were no demands on his time. Here he could find true rest, true peace. Here he could hold her and nothing could touch either of them. 

However, whatever was happening in the mind meld didn’t stop their bodies from moving, from trying to gain more from each other. His hips pounded into her, seeing his own release and when it came Astrid held onto him as her own orgasm crested on the cusp of his. 

 

They lay there breathless for a while before Astrid sat up, propped on her elbow. “What just happened?”

Shiro laughed. “I have no idea. That was a first for me.”

“Did you see through my eyes,” she asked as she traced the scars on his belly.

He turned to face her, mimicking her position. “Yes. Did you see through mine?”

Astrid blushed. “I did. Do you really think I am the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”

Shiro smiled. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Astrid continued to stroke his skin, tracing the scars on his body. Normally, it would have bothered him, but not now. He knew the truth of her earlier statement. She thought they were a beautiful testament to his past. 

“What was with the Lion, though? That was weird.”

“And the rest of it wasn’t?” He quirked a questioning eyebrow. When she punched him, he laughed again. “I think that was a message for me. The Black Lion approves and thinks you make me stronger. It was probably him that pulled us into the Astral Plane.”

“Astral Plane?” Her eyebrows knitted together. 

“That’s where we were. The Lions, this castle, they run on Altean magic. Things… happen around them that can’t be explained easily. I have fought Zarkon on the Astral Plane for control of the Black Lion. It’s like a dream realm. Though, things that happen there affect us here, as well. Zarkon told me that if I died there, I would die here.”

“Well, I promise to never harm you on any plane. Here, you will only find acceptance, devotion, and pleasure.” She straddled him and brought his face to hers, kissing him deeply.


End file.
